BLM Seeks Comment on Environmental Assessments for November Oil and Gas Lease Sale

Vernal, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah Green River District is now seeking public comment on two environmental assessments (EAs) analyzing the BLM’s proposal to offer 82 parcels covering 142,947 acres in the Price and Vernal Field Offices at the November 2013 oil and gas lease sale. The EA for the Price Field Office analyzed 75 parcels covering 137,441 acres, and the EA for the Vernal Field Office analyzed seven parcels covering 5,506 acres.

Additional information about the proposed parcels is included in the EAs, which are now available for public review and comment. Electronic copies of the EAs can be found on the Environmental Notification Bulletin Board at: https://www.blm.gov/ut/enbb/index.php; to review the Price EA search for “November 2013 Price Field Office Oil & Gas Lease Sale EA” in the project field; to review the Vernal EA, search for “November 2013 Oil and Gas Lease Sale” in the project field. The Vernal EA can also be downloaded from the following webpage: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/nepa_.html.

Hard copies can be obtained in person at the Price Field Office: 125 South 600 West, Price, UT or at the Vernal Field Office: 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT.

The public review and comment period closes at 4:30 p.m. on July 15, 2013. Please note that the most useful comments are those that identify issues relevant to the proposed action or contain new technical or scientific information. Comments which contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response, but may be considered in the BLM decision-making process. Please reference the "November 2013 Oil and Gas Lease Sale" when submitting comments.

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. The BLM will not consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

For further information on the Price Field Office EA, contact Don Stephens at (435)636-3608. For further information on the Vernal Field Office EA, contact Stephanie Howard at (435)781-4469. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individuals. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and messages will be answered during normal business hours.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.